The official blog of center fielder Marlon Byrd

4/15 What happened in Milwaukee

I guess everyone knows about my blowup last Sunday in Milwaukee. There are certain things that happen in baseball that you keep in the clubhouse, you keep between the manager, you keep between the players. Quade came out and said there was miscommunication. I got asked the same question. The big thing about me is I don’t throw managers under the bus, I don’t throw coaches under the bus. The best way for me to keep DeJesus’ name, Dernier’s name and Quade’s name out of the media and my name not attached to any negativity is to not say anything. That was the only way I could get my point across to the media that day.

When you see it on ESPN or MLB Network, nobody knows the reasoning and it makes me look bad. I don’t mind that. Again, the whole point was it was handled internally and kept that way. I didn’t come out and say anything. Nobody is sure what happened and if people want to put the blame on me, that’s fine. I don’t mind that. Everyone makes mistakes in their job. But to harp on it just because a negative came out of it instead of a positive, I thought was unnecessary so that’s the reason I reacted the way I did.

I will always have my coaches backs, my whole organization’s back — all the way from the Ricketts to the clubhouse guys to the janitors to the guys working at Wrigley. I think I have respect in this game and a lot of people understand where I was coming from. The main thing was to have Mike Quade and the 25 guys on this team understand where I’m coming from and they did.

Marlon we have your back covered as well. I watch you everyday and think you are doing a wonderful job for the cubs. As you said we all make mistakes. We watch you on tv, we live in Warsaw, IN and with gas prices and ticket prices the way they are we can’t afford to take them. Not to mention I recently am recovering from numerous blood clots to my leg and nearly died. By the Grace of God I am here, but not alot of extra to be able to take my family of 4 to see you play. God Bless and I pray for a very healthy year to all my favorite cubs players.

No worries Marlon,
Know your a class guy and love having with the Cubbies. Appreciate your professional abilities and your hustle. Keep on being yourself, playing the way you do. Your performance will be all the talking you’ll have to do!

No need to explain, Marlon. You have the respect of this fan. All one needs to do is watch the way you play and see the way you interact with your teammates. You are a class act. Keep on smiling, and I hope you and the team have a great season.

I completely understand what you did. As a fan and a blogger, I respect your decision to keep what happened in house. You are right, loyalty to your team and coaches is definitely the most important thing!

I’ve watched every Cubs game since 2000 and during that time I’ve also seen how the sports writers grab hold of one error or so-called error and pound the team into the ground with it. I think you handled this very well and I commend you for doing so without losing it. In my heart I believe the sports writers are equally to blame for the problems the Cubs have. Reporting is one thing, being a constant critic seems to be the only approach some of them can take. Keep playing like the pro you are and know that the real fans appreciate the way you play and conduct yourself.

Marlon,
I like everything about you as a ball player, especially the way you alway hustle. That is what I try to instill in my 10 year old son Jackson in every sport he plays. He watches the Cubs games with me and knows all the players, but I always point out how you play as an example of what and who he should be. When he takes the field or the court I always ask him the same question “who are you gonna be out there?” and his response is alway “I know mom, Marlon Byrd” with a big smile on his face. Thanks for being such a great example!

Hey Byrdman (that’s what I call you when I’m cheering for you at home),

Noticed you don’t have a lot of comments lately so I just wanted to drop a note to let you know how much I enjoy catching your blogs; I only wish they came a bit more often. It’s nice to get your perspective on things.

Also wanted to say I love the enthusiasm and positive attitude you always seem to bring to the field. I liked your blog about you and Carlos. I see you guys out there talking on the field and in the dugout, and though I can have no idea what you’re saying, I can tell it’s 100% esprit de corps. You guys are in the game, there’s that team spirit and intensity there. It’s good to see Carlos getting involved with the pitchers, trying to encourage them.

And there’s nothing like the Byrdman’s smile or a little having fun with the bleacher bums out in center to make us believe in the Cubbies every day out there. Keep it up, and Eamus Catuli! Oh, and get Soriano to really get inspired out there. I know he has it in him.

Byrdman, don’t worry about Cubs’ fans perceptions of you, we all admire how you play the game, and we admire you as a person. No true Cub fan will ever doubt any decision you make or ever ridicule you for how you make it. Your the best Marlon.

Classy as always Marlon. I know you’ve heard all this before, but I love the heart you play the game with. Always 100%, never any less. Every time I see you playing on TV, I tell my kids that this is a guy they should look up to. I have them watch how you hustle on even a sure out to make them close, and even better when you burn around the bases after smacking a home run. Keep it up!

That’s a really mature attitude, and I appreciate you playing your heart out there for the Cubs. I’ll admit I had my doubts about you coming to the Cubs at the time because of the Conte association, but you’ve quickly become one of my favorite players for your sincerity and desire to play hard for the team.

Don’t let the early season results get you down. A lot of Cubs fans don’t get that baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, and that slumps and hot streaks occur for the best and worst players. You’ll turn it around. Cubs fans do this every year, boo the guys who start out of the gate slow, even when they have very good career stats, or just because they dislike the guy’s personality – Z for example has been putting up with it for about 5 years now.

Anyway, no worries about the fans. They tend to be temperamental based on where a guy’s stats are from game to game, even early in the season when it’s way too early to tell, and don’t have perspective. Or let a news event like this skew their perception and not think it through. Good luck, keep up the great work for the Cubs!

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